Bradley Sterrett, 45, a well-respected fundraiser for Boston University and a former Catholic priest, was found beaten to death in his home at 3200 N. Lake Shore Drive several days after he was murdered.
Sterrett was killed April 17. Just days after his body was found police arrested Timothy Sallis, 33, of 4442 N. Sheridan. Sallis has been charged with first-degree murder and was arraigned April 28.
He is being held without the possibility of bail in Cook County Jail.
In most cases where someone brings a stranger to their home and a murder results, police have few clues or witnesses. In this case, community cooperation helped lead to a quick arrest.
'Stranger danger' crimes have been a part of the gay community for decades. Many murders of gay men go unclassified as such because the victims can not speak for themselves, and police do not know their connections. But in the case of Bradley Sterrett, community cooperation and police work led officers to the killer by April 26, said Chicago Police Department spokesman Pat Camden.
Timothy Sallis, aka Timothy King, has confessed to the crime. He alleges that Sterrett picked him up at a Halsted Street gay bar and they had a verbal agreement whereby Sterrett would pay Sallis $75 for sexual favors. Sallis claims after the act was completed, Sterrett refused to pay him and that he then proceeded to kick and rob Sterrett of $18. Camden noted that Sterrett died of massive bleeding from trauma to the head.
Sallis has 49 arrests on his record, many for prostitution, in addition to assaults, batteries, and robbery, Camden said.
'This is very dangerous behavior, bringing a stranger to your home, or going to a stranger's,' Camden said. Serial killers including Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and Larry Eyler often relied on the anonymity and safety of such pickups to find their victims.
This was the first homicide in the 23rd District this year, Camden noted, and the District Commander was anxious to make sure the news got out and police acted swiftly on leads.
'We got a dangerous offender off the streets, which provides dividends to all involved,' Camden said. 'These crimes are often not solved. Without the involvement of the community, another predator is left within the community. This is a win for police and a win for the community.'
The Man and His Missions
Who was Bradley Sterrett? A relative newcomer to Chicago, Sterrett lived at 3200 N. Lake Shore Drive, a highrise condominium. His most recent work was with Boston University as a fundraiser, but the majority of his past was spent as a priest in Kansas.
Sterrett was born Oct. 25, 1957 in Beloit, Kansas, the son of Raymond and Mary Rose Sterrett. He grew up in Norton, Kansas, and graduated from Norton Community High School. He went on to graduate from Fort Hays State University and attended the University of Kansas. His next stop was Josephenum College in Columbus, Ohio—a seminary college—where he spent four years. His final education was at the North American College in Rome, where he spent four years.
In 1985, Sterrett was ordained into the priesthood, and he served in the parishes of Seven Dolors and St. Isidore in Manhattan, Kansas, and Emaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Hays, Kansas.
Sterrett voluntarily left the priesthood in 1997 to pursue other interests.
When Windy City Times reached his mother, she said she really could not comment—she has now buried three of her sons and her husband. But in a local obituary, the family said, 'Brad took a leave in 1997, dedicating his life to creating opportunities for the youth of the world through his fundraising efforts for several universities.'
Sterrett worked as a major gifts officer at St. Lawrence University in New York, then he went to Kansas State University as the foundation development director for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Father Barry Brinkman, with St. Mary's in Salina, Kansas, was cooperative in providing Windy City Times with background information on Sterrett. Brinkman emphasized that Sterrett left the church on his own terms, not with any scandal involved, simply to pursue other interests.
Sterrett's most recent employment was as Senior Major Gifts Officer in the Office of Development for the entire Boston University system. He was the sole person in BU's Chicago office, but he had constant interaction with the home office in Boston, according to BU spokesman Kevin Carleton.
Carleton said Sterrett was with BU for about two years. And while that is a relatively short time, Carleton said Sterrett had a strong impact and the people he worked closely with are still too upset to discuss losing him.
'It is a very highly charged office, where you work aggressively and effectively, based on teamwork and sharing information and building off the work of a variety of people,' Carleton said. 'Even though he was in Chicago, and only worked for BU for two years, he was well known and well liked by a number of people. He did a good job, and was well respected.'
Carleton said BU has about 250,000 alumni and the development office will raise about $100 million this year.
BU has an interesting history. It was founded as a Methodist seminary to 1839, and then incorporated as Boston University in 1869. Even though it was a Methodist seminary, the founders' charter called for it to be open to all people regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, or gender. The president of Harvard at the time said it was a mistake for BU to let women in. And meanwhile, other universities, those that let Jews in at all, had quotas. So BU has always been an open and inclusive institution, Carleton said, adding that it has also ranked near the top on lists of good school environments for gays and lesbians. While it does not have a specific non-discrimination policy based on sexual orientation, Carleton said the school follows all appropriate government laws.
Asked if Sterrett's sexuality was ever a problem for BU, Carleton said people knew about him, and 'his sexuality was never an issue.'
Survivors include his mother Mary Rose Sterrett, who moved to Cape Girardeau, Mo., and also four brothers: Dr. Patrick Sterrett, of Dubuque, Iowa; Michael Sterrett of Overland Park, Kansas; Dr. Jack Sterrett of Cape Girardeau, Mo.; and Tim Sterrett of Kansas City, Mo. Two other brothers, Dick and Bob, preceded him in death.
Father Brinkman said a memorial fund has been established: Bradley J. Sterrett Memorial Fund, 7730 Floyd, Overland Park, Kansas, 66204.
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